The Beginning
by KingNoodle
Summary: She was Gotham's most feared criminal. He was an up-and-coming psychiatrist. This is their story.
1. Chapter 1

Her lips barely grazed the soft skin of his lips before she lowered herself back into her chair across the table from him. A wicked smile spread itself across her face, her gaze coming from underneath hooded eyelids. She kept her stare trained on his features, unwavering.

"Do you like that, baby boy?" her voice melted in his ears, wrapping around him as she settled into her chair as much as she could. The straight jacket fastened around her slim body wasn't lending much to her comfort.

He moved his mouth, but no words spilled out. He seemed to be in a trance, trapped inside his own mind. The smile on her face grew even bigger, if that was even possible.

"Cat got your tongue, pretty boy? I didn't know you were treating Selina too," she smirked, a glint of playfulness in her eyes. "I thought I was special? I thought I was your only patient?"

He fumbled for words again. It's like his mind had stopped all function, deeming basic motor skills unnecessary. But his heart still beated wildly hidden behind flesh and ribs, his chest rising and falling rapidly.

"You are," he finally stuttered out, pushing all of the oxygen in his lungs out with the words.

Her smile took an even more sinister curve at one corner, her body leaning forward just slightly. "Good," she cooed in a soft tone, her eyes burning into his, "Because I don't like sharing my things. I don't… Let's just say, I don't play well with others."

He knew he should be taking notes. He knew he should be watching her every move, deciphering what it all could possibly mean. That was his job. But right now, he was falling apart. She had him hooked, locked under her hypnotic spell. And there was nothing he could do to rip himself from her grasp. Each day, he fell more and more underneath her power.

With each passing day, though, he began to realize that he… _liked_ it. It was like he craved for their sessions to finally roll around, so he could finally be in her presence again. He counted down the minutes religiously until the door would open and in would walk his pale, yet still colorful, beauty. Nothing rivaled her, nothing came close to the perfection that sat in front of him.

Despite having spent months within the walls of Arkham, her hair still curled perfectly around her elongated face. Her lackluster skin still shone brightly even after the months spent away from the sun. Perfectly kissable red lips that were almost always stretched into an impossibly wide smile… But he was getting ahead of himself. What sat before him was utter perfection, there was no other way to put it.

"Getting lost in your thoughts, my little pet?" she mused in a childlike tone despite the implication of her words, "I thought you were supposed to be digging through my head, not yours?"

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," he murmured, not wanting to entirely to push away all of his thoughts, "I was just thinking."

"Well, I can see that. You might be the _doctor_ in this relationship, but I still have some brain cells left up in this crazy mind o' mine. I'm not completely gone... _yet_ ," she chuckled, leaning back in her chair and proceeding to look over the doctor in front of her.

"I didn't mean-" he began but was almost immediately cut off by a knock on the door. Their daily session was over. He looked down at the notepad in front of him, blank lines staring backup at him. His heart fell slightly further into his stomach, but he tried his hardest to hide his emotions.

"Time's up, Dr. Quinzel," a guard grunted, coming into the room and wrapping a massive hand tightly around his patient's arm, jerking her up from the chair.

Suddenly, a fire burned deep inside his stomach, angered by the guard's actions. A stern expression crept onto his features, standing up and stepping in front of the guard. A look of surprise on the guard's face flashed before quickly fading away, replaced by an annoyed one.

"Dr. Quinzel, please step out of the way. This piece of dirt needs to get back to her cell," he grunted again, his voice gruff and disgusting. Not sugary sweet like hers.

"I will not stand for this kind of treatment of my patient, _guard_. You are in no position to decide how she is to be handled so I expect you to listen to me," he spat, lacing as much venom and disdain into his voice as he could muster. "Don't make me report you to Dr. Arkham for abuse of patients."

A spark of fear lit behind the guard's eyes, startled by this sudden change in the doctor's demeanor. But his lovely, sweet patient just continued to smile at him, seeming pleased with his reaction to the way the guard handled her.

"Yes, Dr. Quinzel. I'll be sure to take more care next time," he sputtered, unable to make eye contact with him.

"Good. And make sure to tell all your guard buddies the same thing. I will not hesitate to report every single last one of you brutes," he said, holding his chin up slightly to give off an air of superiority over the lowly guard.

"Yes, sir," the guard muttered, keeping his head down.

He finally moved out of the guard's way, but as the two walked past, she bumped into him, her head bouncing softly off of his muscled chest and muttering something as the guard _gently_ pulled her away from him.

"Until next time, pumpkin pie!" she called out as they escorted her down the halls back to her cell, the sounds of her laughter echoing off the walls and resonating throughout the entire institution.

Most would shudder at a sound like that, but not him. No, he relished in the sound of it, letting it wrap around him and hold him tight within its warm embrace.

Later that evening as he was sitting in his office, he finally was able to figure out what she had whispered to him after she bumped into him at the end of their session. _Check your pocket, sweetie._ He lifted a shaking hand up to the small pocket on his lab coat, finding a small sheet of folded paper tucked in there. How did that get it there? Slowly, he pulled it out and unfolded it, revealing the message hidden inside.

"Always such a good boy for Mommy," was scribbled hastily across the paper.

A smile spread itself across his face. He vaguely wondered how she managed to hide this in his pocket, but that didn't matter as much as the message itself. She was proud of him.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey kiddos! I forgot to put a little author's note at the beginning of the last chapter to basically explain what's going on here so let me just take care of everything right now.

I haven't seen anything along the lines of this so I figured "Why not write it?" In my version of their origin story, we have a _female_ Joker and a _male_ Harley Quinn, a.k.a. Charles Quinzel later to be Charlie Quinn. They're the same character, just decided to make it a little bit of a genderbender because as I said, I haven't seen anything like this before.

Anyways, always feel free the leave reviews or questions or comments or whatever the diddly squat you wanna say. It's all welcomed!

~ King Noodle

Two months, three weeks, and six days had passed since he first saw her, since his eyes first beheld her in all her grandeur. She had been lounging in her cell as he walked past with Dr. Leland, the door made of glass so he could peer right in. He had stopped dead in his tracks, immediately drawn to the pale woman.

Clearing her throat as to get her colleague's attention, Dr. Leland said, "This is the Joker, Dr. Quinzel. Probably our most well-known patient here in the asylum."

"Would you look it this," her voice sauntered out as she slowly rose from her bed, "Fresh meat. Been a long time since we've seen a new face around here."

"Our employment is none of your concern," the other doctor retorted as the patient reached the glass and leaned against it, eyeing Dr. Quinzel up and down.

"Oh, but it is, dear doctor! I expect to be in the _best_ psychiatric care in the country, and I expect only the _best_ doctors," she smiled viciously, moving her deadly stare to the female doctor.

"We really must be getting along, Dr. Quinzel, or we'll be late for our meeting," Dr. Leland muttered quickly, turning down the hall without pausing to look to see if he was following.

"Coming," he called after her, but his feet refused to move. He could only stare on at the sight before him, completely mesmerized. He'd never seen something quite so like this before. He'd seen poor quality pictures in the papers or shaky videos on the news, but they did her no justice. Nothing could capture the beauty that radiated off of her.

Sitting at the desk inside of his dimly lit office, he continued to get lost in his reverie. Memories flashed by in his mind; conversations during sessions, stolen glances across the hallways. All things that he held close to his heart, secrets for only the two of them to share.

The phone perched on his desk suddenly rang, ripping him away from his daydreaming. Flustered, he reached for the phone, but only ended up knocking it onto the floor in his haste. Cursing to himself, he leapt from his chair, tripping over himself as he scrambled to retrieve the fallen communication device.

"H-Hello?" he stuttered from his new position on the floor, an uncomfortable one at that, laying face down with one leg caught in the phone cord and struggling to push air in and out of his lungs.

"Dr. Quinzel? Is everything alright?" Dr. Arkham spoke, concern obvious in his tone.

"Um, yes, yes sorry, Dr. Arkham. You just startled me, that's all," he said quickly, climbing from the floor, "What can I do for you?"

"Would you mind coming to my office? I have something I'd like to speak to you about," asked Dr. Arkham, all emotion now devoid from his voice.

His heart plummeted into his stomach, but not before stopping completely. What did Dr. Arkham have to talk to him about? Was he getting fired? Or even worse… were they taking her away from him?

"Dr. Quinzel, are you still there?"

"Um, yes sir, I'll be right down," he muttered before gently dropping the phone back into its cradle. His legs buckled underneath him just slightly, his grip tightening on the edge of the desk. His eyes screwed shut tightly as he tried to calm his erratic breathing.

After he was able to calm himself down somewhat, he began his trek down to Dr. Arkham's office. Thoughts were racing through his mind, all of the worst possible outcomes flashing before being replaced by even worse ones. By the time he reached his destination, he was a nervous wreck, a quite obvious one.

Just as he was about to turn the handle, a sound reverberated through the dark halls. But not just any sound. It was _her_ laugh, reaching up from the depths of this prison and wrapping itself around him. Peace washed over him, and he was finally able to enter Dr. Arkham's office.

Stepping confidently inside, he rolled his shoulders back and held his chin up, ready to take on anything his boss threw his way. Looking up from the papers on his desk, the older doctor motioned for him to take a seat across from him, slipping the glasses from his face.

"Hello Dr. Quinzel, so glad you could make it today," he began, a forced smile fixed upon his lips, "There's just a few things I'd like to discuss with you before you have your next session." The older doctor didn't give him a chance to reply before continuing on. "I've noticed that you haven't been turning in very many notes for Patient #001940. Would you care to explain?"

Knowing he had to think quick on his feet, he gave the only answer he knew would make sense. _Blame her._ "Well, Dr. Arkham, you know how uncooperative that specific patient can be at times. She can be rather mute during our sessions so that makes it hard to get information from her."

"But you know you can still jot notes down about her behaviors, her unspoken body language. You graduated at the top of your class, you should know these things by now," Dr. Arkham sighed, "I shouldn't have to be explaining this to you."

"I know, Dr. Arkham. I am sorry. It becomes difficult at times to remember everything when dealing with a patient such as her. You must know that."

"Charlie, let's talk on a friend level. I know how smart you are, I know you're not one to slip up when a patient gets difficult. I had a guard come talk to me about a little incident that happened yesterday. I just want to know right now, are you forming any emotional attachments to this patient? You can't convince me that you don't know what countertransference is, Charlie. Just tell me, are you developing feelings for her?" he asked, leaning forward on his desk, a kinder expression on his face.

He was stunned. He couldn't believe that Dr. Arkham could have picked up on things so easily. Was he not hiding it well enough? Even if he wasn't, Dr. Arkham was right. He can't be developing feelings for her. It's unethical, and he couldn't afford to lose his job.

"No, Dr. Arkham. I am not developing feelings for my patient, I only want the best care for her. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to prepare for my next session." And with that, he left.

Walking away from Dr. Arkham's office, he decided on one thing. He would no longer be held captive under her entrance.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note:

Just to give you a little insight, every third chapter will be written from our lovely Lady Joker's point of view just to see what's going through her head too. Again, thank you all so much for reading, it really means the world to me!

~ King Noodle

 **Joker's P.O.V.**

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._

Deep in the belly of the asylum, a lone figure sat in her cell, straightjacket fixed tightly around her slim body. An innumerable amount of things flew through her head at any given moment, a raging storm bellowing through her skull. The voices never ceasing, a cacophony of chaos. The result of a superior mind, she thought with a chuckle. Suddenly becoming bored with trying to entertain every new thought that entered her conscious, she stood - with expected difficulty, this straightjacket really was unnecessary - and crossed over to the clear glass door.

"Hello?" she sang, a bright smile on her features, hoping to grab the attention of someone, anyone. She just needed someone to toy with until she could resume her favorite game.

When only silence responded, a frown settled on her face, her eyebrows knit together in disappointment. Someone almost always come down to check on the Clown Queen, to see what she could possibly be up to now.

"You know, I'm feeling quite bored down here. Isn't it your job to make sure I feel comfortable as I can at all times? I'd hate to have you relieved from your positions due to unsatisfactorily meeting your requirements," she spoke, leaning one shoulder against the glass and peering out into the hallway to see if anyone has finally come along.

Sighing in disgust once realizing no one was coming, she let the torrent of thoughts take her attention once again. **There must be some way to get someone to come down** , one voice mused. My cell is always under surveillance, they're watching me right now. She glanced up at the wall across from her cell. She almost immediately spied the poorly concealed camera lense pointed directly at her.

"Yoo-hoo!" she smiled, pressing her face against the clear door, staring unblinking at the camera. Might as well unnerve them while I'm at it. More fun when they're on edge. Heh.

Waiting a few moments, she looked down both ends of the hallway, expecting to see one of the brutish guards coming to see what she wanted. But still, no one. _How_ _rude_.

" _Looks like someone isn't doing their job up to standard_ ," another voice offered.

" _ **Looks like we're going to have to resort to**_ **other** _**measures to get some attention around here**_ ," a third voice muttered angrily.

Stalking away from the door of her cell, she made the few steps it took to reach the far wall. She waited a few more moments, and then without considering any alternatives, she spun and charged full speed at the wall of glass. Her nose collided first, she felt it give way underneath the sudden impact. Falling backwards from the sheer force of it, she landed on the hard concrete, her head thudding off of the ground.

"Tickles!" she giggled, before exploding into full blown laughter and kicking her feet up into the air.

As she laughed, she felt her warm blood flow across her pale skin. Two trails snaked from either nostril, curling downward into her smile, expanding it even more. Oh, what she would do to see how she looked right now! Downright absolutely _perfect_!

And then she heard it, the sound of boots stamping down the hall towards her. Scrambling to her knees, she pressed her face against the glass once more, a crazed look in her eyes as the smile stayed permanently fixed to her face. Still giggling, she watched as the three guards approached her cell, happy to see the fruits of her efforts.

"Ah, finally! My knights in shining armour to rescue me from this mind numbing boredom!" she laughed, pushing herself to her feet, "Where to next? A stop by the infirmary? A quick run into the bathrooms? Or off to a date with the handsome doctor!"

" _Yeah, let's go see that doctor!_ " the first voice agreed.

Ignoring her as if she hadn't said anything, one guard stepped forward and proceeded to punch in the correct code to unlock her cell. With a puff of air, the door slowly rose, her smile becoming more sinister the higher it went. Without wasting a second, two guards were on either side of her, the third following close behind.

"So where to today? It's not polite to take a lady somewhere without telling her first," she said, gazing up at the guard on her right. But she received no answer in return, so she turned to the guard on her left. "What? New rule, you can't talk to the patients anymore? Well, at least that saves me the earful of having to listen to you imbeciles tell me I am " _the scum of the earth_ ". That's the real problem right there, taking care of the _crazies_ whenever you're no better than us."

"Shut up," the guard behind her spat.

" _ **That one's probably the one we woke up from his nap.**_ "

"Ah, so you do speak! They haven't cut out your vocal chords yet! Means more _fun_ for me then," she giggled as the four of them turn a corner.

Recognizing the hallway, she figured out that they were taking her down to the infirmary to get checked out. But that means that they'll have to go by the lovely doctor's office. If she has any luck, he'll see her in the condition that she's in and be sent straight into a tizzy over it!

" **Let's see what trouble we can stir up!** "

Seeing the door of her doctor's office, she decided to take the opportunity while she could. Sticking one foot in front of the other, she effectively tripped herself, bringing down at least one guard with her. Since she was still in the straightjacket, she had no way to brace herself, her shoulder taking the brunt of the fall and causing all of the oxygen to be pushed from her lungs.

As she lay on the floor, struggling to bring air back inside of her chest, she saw what she was hoping for. Her devoted little toy sprinting down the hallway towards the fallen bodies, a look of pure horror etched upon his features. Reaching her, he bent down and picked her up into his arms, his eyes wide with fear.

"What… what did they do to you…?" he whispered softly, his eyes searching her face for any other signs of damage aside from the blood that still slowly trickled from her nose, aggravated again from the fall.

Contorting her face, she began breathing heavily, stuttering, "T-they hit me, doctor. They j-just dragged me out of my c-cell and started h-hitting. I don't even k-know what I did. S-stop them, doctor…"

As she spoke, she watched as several emotions flashed across his features. From concern to anger to pure rage, all flickering across his face in a matter of seconds. Then, with her still safely protected in his grip, his head snapped up, his eyes burning holes through the skulls of the guards that had been accompanying her.

His lips curved downward into a deep frown. "What the _hell_ do you think you are doing? Did your buddy not pass along to you that I will _not_ stand for the mistreatment of my patients?"

The guards stammered in response, surprised by the sudden turn of events. But then one came to his senses, reaching forward and pulling her from the doctor's hold. The others followed in suit, taking up their positions once more.

"Watch the footage, Doctor Quinzel," one guard said, irritated with having to deal with her for the upteenth time, "You'll see who's right."

Dragging her down the hall again, she looked back at him over her shoulder. He may see that she was the one that ran into the glass, but he'll never know if it was them that tripped her or not.

" _ **We still have him wrapped around our finger**_."


	4. Chapter 4

"What are you afraid of?" he asked, looking up from the clipboard in front of him full of questions for him to ask his patient to get a better idea of what was truly going on inside that mysterious, insane mind of hers.

It had been a week since the incident in the hallway, and he still couldn't get it out of his mind. He had been walking back to his office from his meeting with Dr. Arkham, a new resolve to stop letting her have such a powerful control over him, when he saw her bloodied and on the floor in front of him. Without even thinking twice, he had run forward and dropped to his knees, pulling her into his arms. And oh, how nice it was to have her in his arms…

"You haven't slept for days, have you, pretty boy?" she asked, ignoring his question with one of her own.

In truth, he hadn't slept very much since it happened, unable to keep it from replaying over and over again in his mind. He has watched the hours slowly tick by almost every night this past week. He just couldn't get the memory of her in his arms out of his head. Even when he finally did manage to get a few hours rest, his dreams would be filled with images of her. He had actually been dreading this session, unsure of how he would behave around her now, but so far, he's been able to keep himself in check. For the most part.

"Please, just answer the question," he responded, trying to keep his voice steady.

Seeing that he wasn't going to take the bait, she sat back in her chair - still constrained in the straightjacket - looking him over from across the table. Under her unblinking and unending gaze, he started to become uncomfortable, shifting in his chair and tugging gently at the collar of his dress shirt. But then remembering that _he_ was still the one in charge here, he straightened his back and leveled his gaze at her.

"If you choose not to cooperate, I will have the guards take you back to your cell," he said, moving his hand underneath the table as if to press the emergency call button.

Frowning, she leaned forward in her chair, "I'm not afraid of anything, _doctor_. Not you, not your guards, not the Bat. Nothing you, or anyone else, can do will scare me."

Jotting down her words on his notepad, he looked back up, a small smile on his face. "Thank you for your cooperation."

"What are you afraid of, doctor?" she inquired without skipping a beat.

"I'm the one asking questions. Remember, _you're_ the patient here," he responded, expressionless.

"Hm.. there's something eating at you, isn't there? That's why you're acting so strange. No matter how hard you try, baby boy, you'll never be able to hide anything from Mommy," she smiled, leaning back into her chair again, "Now, come on and tell Mommy what's wrong."

Clenching his jaw, he fought hard to not blurt out with the battle that's been raging in his mind for the last seven days. He couldn't tell her about the meeting with Dr. Arkham because then she'd know that he _was_ developing feelings for her. But she did just say that he can't hide anything from her… Does that mean she already knows?

Feeling sweat start to slide down his spine, he cleared his throat, looking back down at his notepad, "Let's continue with the questions."

"Oh, no no, we're not going to continue with your silly questions, baby boy. You're going to tell me what's going on with you."

"We're not here to focus on me-"

"But I am! I'm here to focus on you, Mommy has to take good care of her little boy," she cooed, cutting him off.

His jaw clenched again. If she kept up with these pet names, he knew that his resolve would not last much longer. He knew it had been thin to begin with; it started dissolving the second she walked through the door at the beginning of the session.

"N-no," was all he was able to manage.

"No? Mommy doesn't like being told no," she scolded before a sinister smile spread across her face, "Take this thing off."

All of the color drained from his face. Take the straightjacket off? Along with that being against the rules, she was always to be restrained in the jacket, would he be safe in the same room as her? The guards were just a push of a button away, but would he even be able to make it that far? He's seen and heard of the things she's done when she was still on the loose. What if she tried to pull something like that now?

"I c-can't," he stuttered, his heart beginning to hammer inside of his chest, his palms becoming slick with sweat.

"What if I say 'please'? Then could you do it for Mommy? You're always such a good boy for me, coming to my rescue from the brutes they call guards here. So why can't you do this teeny favor now?" she asked, her voice sugary sweet.

Opening his mouth to continue opposing her wishes, he found himself unable to protest any longer. The weak resolve he had built up over the past week finally crumbled to dust around him, his walls gone. Lifting himself from his chair without thinking, he crossed over to her and proceeded to unbuckle the straightjacket.

Shrugging the jacket from her shoulders, she stood and stretched her arms, a sigh falling from her crimson lips, "Ah, do you know how good it feels to finally have that damn thing off, baby boy?"

Before he could respond, she lifted a hand to the side of his face, dragging it slowly down his jaw and neck until finally coming to a rest over his heart, which happened to be racing wildly. Surely she can feel how fast it's beating, he thought, paralyzed with fear.

"Let's continue now, if you're still up to it, doctor?" she chuckled, stepping away from him so he could take his seat once more.

Sitting back down in his chair, he didn't realize that she wasn't in her chair until she perched herself atop his lap. Becoming rigid once again, she laughed at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and scooting herself closer to him.

"You just looked more… _comfortable_ ," she smiled, leaning down so she was inches away from his face.

He could feel her hot breath brush against his cheek, his eyes falling shut at the sensation. Feeling her grab one of his hands, he opened his eyes again, watching her place one of his hands around her waist before taking the other and setting it on top of her knee.

"We… We're going to get caught," he said, breathlessly, unable to comprehend how they even got to be in this position. But he knew that if someone walked in on them like this, he'd lose his job in a heartbeat and then he'd never be able to be this close to her ever again.

Ignoring him, she leaned even closer to him, whispering two words that were enough to stop his heart and breathing altogether.

" _Kiss_ _me_."


	5. Chapter 5

Hey Kiddos!

I just wanted to give a _massive_ thanks to everyone who's been reading my story so far, you have _no_ idea have much it means to me. Just to see all your reviews and how many people have _actually_ come and checked it out... A writer could never ask for more. So thank you, thank you, thank you!

I also just started another story called Good Grief, My Honey if you wanted to check that out too! Thank again!

~ King Noodle

His heart was at a standstill inside of his chest. No longer could he push air out and back into his lungs. Staring up at the woman sitting atop his lap, he couldn't break his gaze away from her. He was mesmerized, lost in a trance.

Moving a hand to his cheek, she smiled softly at him and whispered, "Close your eyes, pretty boy."

Unable to do anything _but_ what she said, he found himself shutting his eyes despite how much his mind was screaming not to. It had somehow come to its senses, the only sensible part of him left but it was quickly fading.

The smell of her filled his nostrils further keeping him underneath her spell. Even after spending months inside of the walls of Arkham, she still smelled of sweet perfume and… gunpowder? But it smelled like _her_ nonetheless.

He felt as she brought her free hand up and placed it gently on his other cheek, her weight shifting as she leaned closer to him. His breath hitched even further, feeling more than hearing her chuckle.

"Such a pretty boy…" she mumbled, now mere centimeters separating the two of them, "Such a pretty, pretty boy…"

He didn't know how much longer he could last. Having her so close to him now, his heart snapped out of its initial shock, now hammering wildly in its ribbed cage. His breaths came a little faster now, a little heavier now. Where his body was once asleep, it was now alive, brimming with life.

Becoming too impatient, he finally listened to her original command, leaning forward and closing the small distance between them. He pressed his lips onto hers, dying and being reborn all at once. His grip on her waist and knee tightened ever so slightly as her hands held onto him harder.

She felt soft beneath his touch, tasting as sweet as she smelled and sounded. His hair stood up on end, electricity flowing throughout his entire being. It felt like he was being utterly consumed, and he was more than willing to offer himself up to her. If he was standing, he knew he would have been brought to his knees.

But then the sensible part of his mind awoke from its daze, reminding him of who _he_ was and who _she_ was. He was her doctor, and she was his patient. He knew he should not be doing this, but oh how he wanted this to go on forever. If he wasn't able to sleep for a week after holding her in his arms, now he won't get one more wink of sleep the rest of his life.

 _You have to stop this if you still want to keep your job! If you get fired, this will be the last time you ever get to be with her! Do you really want to lose her? After_ this _? You have to stop!_

Pulling himself away from her, he panted heavily for a few moments before slowly opening his eyes to gaze up at her. She was already staring down at him, a wide smile on her face. She dragged a nail down his cheek and under his jaw, bringing it underneath his chin and tilting his head to look at her better.

"Well, wasn't that nice?" she chuckled before glancing at the clock on the wall, a frown falling onto her features, "Tie me back up."

Removing herself from his hold, she sauntered back over to her chair, sitting once more and holding her arms out in front of her. He didn't get up right away, making her frown even further.

"Get on with it, doctor. You really want someone walking in now? You didn't have a _heart_ _attack_ , you _kissed a woman_. Get yourself together. Your heart is still there, even though it felt like it was going to burst right out of your chest, didn't it, baby boy? Hm? You knew you were doing something wrong, but didn't it just feel too good?" she murmured, smirking slightly.

Without answering, he finally stood up and crossed over to her, picking her straightjacket off of the floor where she had discarded it. Pulling it over her arms, he fastened the buckles behind her once more.

Just as he was taking his seat again, two guards opened the door, signaling the end of this week's session. He casually smoothed a hand over his hair and then over his dress shirt, adjusting his tie. Keeping an expressionless look on his face, he watched as the guards guided her out of the cell.

"Oh, and before I go, one more thing. Just remember, don't worry about me, pumpkin pie!" she shouted back to him as they lead her down the hall back to her cell.

 _Don't worry about her? Why would she say something like that?_

Gathering up his papers, he shook his head before heading back to his office. Keeping his head down as he walked past patients and staff, his mind raced. Why had he listened to her? Why had he released her and then _kissed_ her? Why _why_ _**why**_?

Reaching his office, he hastily opened the door and slammed it shut once he was inside. He tossed his paperwork onto the desk, beginning to pace the small length of the room. He knew that what he did was wrong, very, _very_ wrong, but she was right… It just felt too good to stop.

Lost in his thoughts, he almost didn't notice the flashing red light above the doorway. But the sound of the alarms sure caught his attention. His head snapped up, staring at the blinking light.

"Attention staff, we have a code red. I repeat, staff, we have a _code_ _red_ ," a female voice spoke frantically over the intercom.

"Code red?" he mumbled, trying to remember back to what Dr. Leland had told him.

And then it hit him like a train. There was only one scenario in which Arkham Asylum would ever have a code red alert.

 _It meant that she had escaped._

"No!"


	6. Chapter 6

'Sup kids.

I just wanted to apologize for the short chapters. I see people writing multiple K chapters, and I'm just not at that level yet but I'm working on it. This chapter is especially short, and I felt like this would be the appropriate time to say sorry for the length. But I hope everyone is still enjoying the story!

Hugs and hand grenades!

~ King Noodle

 **Joker's P.O.V.**

" **Get 'em now while you have the chance!** "

The two guards that were escorting her down an empty hallway back to her _lovely_ cell seemed to be paying more attention to getting her locked back up instead of her herself. Seeing that this was probably going to be her best chance, she slowly slipped herself back out of the straightjacket, careful not to make too much noise with the buckles.

She hadn't really needed her handsome doctor to take it off for her, but she just loved seeing how far she could push him. How far she could make him go against what he believes and has been taught his whole life. Oh, how she _loved_ breaking him and reworking him into something better, something even more beautiful.

" _ **Stop thinking about the damn doctor and stab these guards with the pen already**_!" the always angry voice shouted.

Grumbling quietly, she dropped the straightjacket onto the floor, taking the pen the doctor had so conveniently left out for her and lunging for the closest guard. She went for his eyes first, digging the tip of the pen around his skull before making a cut across the unluck fellow's neck and letting him fall to the floor with a heavy thud.

"Stop!" the other guard managed to get out before she pounced on him.

She repeatedly plunged the pen into his chest after tackling him to the floor, setting the tip against his forehead and leaning her entire body weight into putting it through the bone. Sitting back up, she huffed a breath of air between her lips. She dipped a finger into one of the dead guard's many wounds, painting a big smile across his face with his own blood, repeating the same action with the other guard.

" _Don't forget to stop by storage and get your clothes_!" the overly happy voice piped up.

" **Forget the clothes, just get out of here! You have plenty more back at the hideout** ," another argued.

" _But-but they took my favorite suit and cane! We gotta get 'em back_!" it whined.

Sighing and pushing the voices from her mind - as much as she could for right now - she turned toward the direction of the patient storage, realizing that they _had_ , in fact, confiscated her favorite outfit and cane.

Taking off, she almost made it to storage before the alarms started going off. Red lights flashed above every doorway, and a woman came over the P.A. system stating that the asylum had a code red.

Pushing her way inside storage, she giggled, "Awe, they have an alert just for me! They really must do like me!"

Finding her crates fairly quickly - they had _The_ _Joker_ spray painted in large, messy green letters across the side - she made quick work of her time, getting the crates open and dressed in her new clothes in no time.

"Ah, that's _much_ better," she smiled, grabbing her cane before sneaking back out of the room and down the hall to one of the concealed emergency exits. No one except staff was supposed to know that these doors even existed, but she's probably been in and out of this place longer than any of the staff have been working here. She practically _owned_ this place, this was her home away from home. It was hers, to come and go as she pleased.

Even though the asylum was under a code red alert, these emergency exits were supposed to be open. You just had to know the correct code, and of course she knew it. She had all of the codes, passwords, everything memorized.

Tapping the hidden keypad next to what looked like blank wall, there was a quiet puff of air as the door began to ascend. She glanced down either end of the hallway, making sure that she was still alone. Once the door was up, she slipped outside, the door quickly falling shut behind her.

Raising her arms, she inhaled deeply, "Mm, fresh air! A luxury and foreign thing to those suffering inside these damned walls!"

Striding down to the fence, she made a beeline for the chink she had made not too long after her first admission to the institution.

" _It's amazing how they still haven't found it_!"

" _ **It's**_ **good** _**that they still haven't found it, dimwit.**_ "

"Why don't you all just shut up, and let's have some _real_ _fun_ ," she cackled, disappearing into the trees around the asylum just as the guards were swarming the outside grounds.


	7. Chapter 7

Guess who's back! Sorry for being away for so long, lots of stuff just came up. Sooo, to make it up to all of you (the few who are actually reading my story), I've come back with many chapters! Again, thank you all so so much for actually taking the time to read my stuff, it means the world to me!

~ King Noodle

 _Escaped_.

She had escaped. She was gone, out of the asylum. She was out in the free world. _She was away from him._

He was with her no less than ten minutes ago! How could she have gotten away from the guards and found a way out already? _How could she have left him?_

Pacing his small office, he pulled at his hair, trying to calm himself down. At least enough so that he could get out of this office and not have anyone notice anything wrong with him. He could feel the walls beginning to close in on him, his vision making him feel as though he were falling down an ever shrinking tunnel.

"No.." he muttered again, feeling the weight of the world crashing down onto his shoulders.

This couldn't be happening. This was just a false alarm. She couldn't really have gotten already, right? He knew that she was good, but could she be _this_ good? Of course. Of course she could. She was _the_ _Joker_. She could do whatever the hell she wanted. This was her house, the rest of us were just visitors.

Rubbing his hands across his face, he took another deep breath before crossing to the door. He placed his hand on the handle, staring at it for a few moments. Did he look alright? Could they tell he was falling apart inside? Was it written all over his face?

Pushing those thoughts aside, he finally pulled opened the door and found a frenzy awaiting him. Doctors, orderlies and guards ran in every direction; some running towards her last known location, others far, far away. No one, not even the guards, wanting to be near her if she wasn't restrained. _Unless you're him. Then you run right for her, ready to follow her to the ends of the earth._

But could he really? If he came down to it, could he really choose to follow her and leave all of this behind? He didn't want to think about it long enough to find out. He needed to find someone who had answers. _Maybe if he went in the direction of her cell…_

Turning left out of his office, he took all of the empty hallways he could, avoiding everyone as to not arise any suspicion. Rounding a corner, he found something that could answer at least some of his questions. Before him were the two guards that were supposed to escort her back to her cell.

He slowly walked over to the dead guards, bending down to get a closer look. One guard had his eyes and throat cut out, the other multiple stab wounds to the chest with something protruding from his forehead. _Was that…?_

 _His pen_. The pen that he had been using during their session was now sticking comfortably - well, not for the guard - out of his skull. _That's how she was able to get away from the guards. He left his pen out, and she must have grabbed it at some point while she was out of the straightjacket. It was all part of her plan. She managed to convince him to take the damn thing off, then kept him distracted enough by kissing him so he wouldn't notice it missing. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How many stupid mistakes could he make in one day?_

"Dammit!" he cursed aloud, backing away from the mess as he heard the sound of heavy boots making their way right for him.

Facing back to the source of the sounds, he watched as five guards entered the hallway, assault rifles positioned on the shoulders and pointing forward. He slowly put his hands in the air, stepping away from their fallen brothers.

"Step away from the bodies, Doctor," one guard grunted at him, making him frown slightly. It's not like _he_ was the one that murdered them. _Even though he did help in an indirect way._

"I just found them like this now," he replied once he was a far enough distance away.

Hearing another set of footsteps coming down the hall, he turned to see Dr. Arkham running at them, his face being quite red and breathing heavily. The older doctor's face relaxed slightly when he saw him though, reaching him and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"By God, am I glad to see you," he said, still huffing, "When the alarm sounded, I was worried something had happened to you. I knew the end of your session ended right about now."

"It was over about twenty minutes ago or so," he answered, not really sure what else to say.

"Why don't you just head on home? Take tomorrow off, Charlie. Relax for a few days. I know how jarring this must be for you, this being your patient and all," Dr. Arkham said, punctuated with a forced looking smile.

He just nodded, turning from the carnage and heading back down to his office. He finally let out the breath he didn't realize he had been holding, glad to have made it through talking with Dr. Arkham without him noticing the thoughts raging in his head. He gathered all of his paperwork into his briefcase, and made it out to his car.

On the ride home, he tried listening to music to clear his mind but it only worked for a bit. Soon, every song that came on reminded him of her so he ended up just turning it off again. It was starting to get harder and harder to keep himself together. _Just a few more minutes and then you're home._

Once he was up in his apartment, he fell back against the closed front door, letting out a ragged breath. He felt hot tears well up in the corners of his eyes but he roughly wiped them away, throwing his jacket and briefcase onto the couch. He stripped himself of the rest of his clothes on his way to the bathroom, in need of a hot shower to relax his tense muscles.

After he was finished, he came back out to sit on the couch, his stomach grumbling loud enough to remind him that he hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. He was about to pull open the freezer to find something to throw in the microwave when he noticed it. Something on his fridge that wasn't there when he left that morning.

Staring back at him was a sticky note with a purple smiley face drawn on it. And for the second time that day, his heart stopped inside of his chest.

 _She had been here. She had been inside of his apartment._


	8. Chapter 8

He was frozen. Stuck in place. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the little slip of paper stuck to the front of his refrigerator. The small face stared back at him, the smile opposite his open mouthed and shocked gaze.

 _How could she have known where he lived? How did she even get in?_

Regaining some sense of mobility, he spun around, quickly scanning the rest of his apartment for any sign of her being here. Maybe she hadn't been here, maybe he was imagining things because she was gone and he didn't want her to be. So he turned back to the fridge, and yes, the note was still there. He wasn't seeing things.

"But how…" he mumbled, backing out of the kitchen and walking back over to the front door.

Pulling open the door, he inspected the lock but found it to be untampered. He scratched the back of his neck as he gazed back into his apartment. Noticing the window curtain moving slightly, he crossed over to it and pulled it back. The window had been barely left open; a slight breeze was still able to make its way through the crack.

Pushing the curtains out of the way and lifting the pane, he stuck his head out the window. The wind brushed against his face, ruffling his hair as he looked around. His apartment was six stories up, with only an old and rusted fire escape climbing up the side of the building. Taking a few steps away, he lifted his leg and stuck it out the window, testing the metal structure. It creaked and groaned underneath the pressure, and he quickly withdrew his foot.

"She couldn't have made it all the way up here and back down without the risk of this thing crashing to the ground," he said to himself.

Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm the nerves that were beginning to get the best of him. He backed away from the window, bumping into the coffee table and stumbling back even further. He swung his arms out to catch himself, but that only threw him off balance even more. Unable to stop himself, he fell backwards, landing uncomfortably on the floor, but that's when he noticed it.

From his position on the floor, he could just barely see the tip of something outside the window. Scrambling across the floor, he stuck his head back out. _He never looked up._

Tied to a metal pipe just above his window was a purple balloon with a green arrow pointing up. While he was worrying too much about her having to climb up six stories on an unreliable fire escape, it never occurred to him that he was on the top floor. She could have easily slipped down from the roof of the building. And he was staring at the proof that that's exactly what she did.

Quickly pulling himself back inside, he started crossing back over to his front door, but stopped halfway there. What might be up there? Did she leave something for him? If she did, why couldn't she have just left it in the apartment? What if it was a trap?

The professional in him knew he should phone the police so they could investigate it. A murderous criminal was on the loose. That would be top priority to them, and they would be scrambling for all the leads they could get their hands on. And here was one right in front of him!

As her doctor, he was only there to treat her mental conditions - within the confines of the asylum. Once she was out on Gotham's streets again, she was under the authority's' jurisdiction.

He couldn't help but be curious though. She went to so much trouble to find him and set up whatever might be waiting for him up on the roof. How could he deny her that? Especially after what happened in their therapy session today.

The memory of what happened gave him pause for a moment. He could feel as the heat rushed to his cheeks, as the blood surged below the elastic waistband of his sweatpants. Shaking his head to clear the thoughts from his head, he let out a frustrated groan and ran his hands through his hair, making the ends point in various directions.

"What the hell is happening to me!" he shouted at no one, throwing his hands in the air.

Beginning to pace the space between the still slightly open front door and the archway to the kitchen, he began to rationalize everything that had been happening to him over the course of the past few weeks.

"It's simple, the solution is simple. You just have to think it through logically, Charlie. You're a psychiatrist, this is your job. You can take an objective look at your own situation," he said, his hands in his hair again, trying to grasp onto what little assurance he had, "Remember transference and countertransference do exist, it's possible for patients to transfer romantic feelings onto their doctors, the same of doctors to their patients. This happens, this is normal. There are steps you can follow to reduce the amount of transference. You could suggest she see a new doctor."

He stopped his pacing, in shock of what he just said. Could he really recommend her seeing someone besides himself? No. No, he couldn't let that happen. He would push through this, he would still be her doctor. He couldn't afford to break whatever trust they had. Not now, not when they've come so far already.

The last thing he could do is betray her. Who knows what all she was capable of? She was always surprising everyone with her tendency to be completely unpredictable. He didn't want to risk being in the receiving end of that harsh unpredictability.

"Why can't this be easy?" he groaned, walking around to the couch and falling into its familiarity.

"You knew it wouldn't be when you took this job," he answered himself.

"Well, I never expected to have a romantic crisis over a psychopathic clown who also happens to be my patient," he grumbled angrily.

Feeling anger begin to fester in him like an infection, he stood from the couch, his muscles tense. He knew he needed to do something to release all of this tension, the idea of just going up to the roof crossing his mind again, but instead he took a swing at open air.

Enticed by how it felt, he swung his arms a few more times until one of his hands accidently collided with a framed picture he had sitting on the end table. The sting of glass cutting into his knuckles brought him back to reality, his labored breathing the only thing slicing through the silence. He watched as the crimson blood slid across his flesh, dripping onto the carpet in a small puddle.

As the blood seeped from his wounds, he was reminded of the surge of blood that had rushed below his waist, slightly surprised to find himself still aroused.

"Misattribution of arousal is a real thing too," he muttered as he walked into the kitchen to wash and band age his cuts.

Once he got himself and the shattered glass all cleaned up, he went back his bedroom to find a t-shirt and a pair of shoes to slip on. As he walked past his mirror, he saw that his hair was an absolute mess so he quickly smoothed it back down. He grabbed his keys off of the stand by the front door and pulled it closed behind him.

Looking down both ends of the hallway to make sure he was alone, he started for the door that led up to the roof of the apartment building. He was going to find out what was up there whether he thought it was a good idea or not. He _was_ her doctor, he could stretch the boundaries a bit for the sake of his patient. He only wanted to best for her, right?

Coming up to the door, he turned the handle but it was locked. Looking around again, he found a nice sized metal rod and used that to break the knob off. Quickly picking the broken piece back up off of the ground, he pushed the door open before carefully setting the knob back in its place, hoping it wouldn't fall back out for the time being.

Taking a deep breath, he began to climb the stairs. It was time to find out what _Mommy's_ little surprise was.


	9. Chapter 9

Okay so honestly I've had up to chapter thirteen written for a long time now because I started writing this story before I began posting on here, but I don't want to just dump everything on you all at once.

~ King Noodle

 **Joker's P.O.V.**

" _Do you think the cute doctor will be able to find this_?"

"If he doesn't, we definitely underestimated him," she said as she leaned over the side of the building to tie the balloon string to a pipe above his apartment window.

Once she had that done, she turned her attention to the ground six stories below her. Her gaze glanced over the old fire escape she had attempted to climb up before she just broke into the building and came up to the roof to do her work. The rusted metal shifted and groaned the second she had put her full weight on it, and while she was known for risky acts, she hadn't particularly felt like being an alley pancake. Well, _today_ at least.

" _ **I'm still not exactly sure about this doctor**_."

" _Hey! Don't you talk about him like-_ "

"Quiet! All of you! You're giving me a damn headache," she said, bringing a hand to her head and rubbing her forehead. "Trust me, we'll get what we need out of him."

Walking away from the edge, she went back to setting up the rest of her little surprise. The small purple jack-in-the-box sat directly across from the door leading up to the roof. The motion detector in the clown's head would set the toy off as soon as the good doctor came within reach. Opening the top of the box, she slid the small slip of paper inside, making sure everything was in working order before setting the latch as she closed it.

" **This seems like a waste of time.** "

"Oh really now?" she muttered, waving a hand in the air, "Do explain!"

" **Why go to all of this trouble? You could've just left everything in the apartment. Or just not come here at all.** "

"Are you implying that I don't know what I'm doing? Should I just let you do everything?" she said, sitting on a chair that had been forgotten on the top of the building, "Go ahead! I'm not stopping you! I'll just sit back and relax while you get everything done."

" **I can't, I'm in your head.** "

Gasping, she brought her hands up to either side of her face, "I never would've guessed!"

" _You don't have to be so mean…_ "

"I'm an asshole, what else would you expect, dear?"

" _ **Yeah, yeah, we're all just a lovely band of fucked up assholes. But how about we finish up here before he might get home?**_ "

Flipping on the switch on the underside of the jack-in-the-box, she strode back over to the edge of the roof, looking over at the street below. Just pulling up to the building, far below her, her doctor stepped out of his car, tugging a hand through his already tousled hair. A smile slowly crept onto her features as she watched him grab his briefcase and push into the building.

"Time to make like a banana and split, ya bunch of assholes!" she giggled as she turned towards the other side of the roof.

On the south side, the neighboring building was significantly closer than anything else on any of the other sides. Taking a running start, she sprinted across the rooftop, planting one foot on the ledge and projecting herself across the alley and making a perfect landing on the other side.

Looking back over her shoulder to make sure that she hadn't been seen, she let of a symphony of laughs as she climbed down the arguably _much_ sturdier fire escape snaking down the side of this building. Waiting for her at the bottom was a black SUV ready to take her back to the warehouse.

"Home James!" she smiled, sliding into the backseat and smacking the roof of the vehicle twice.

Pulling into traffic, one of her goonies said, "Um, Boss?"

Turning to look out the window, she noticed a handful of GCPD cars driving down the other side of the road. "Just act normal, you idiot. Don't do something stupid, and I won't be trigger happy once we get back."

"Y-Yes, Boss."

They made it back to the hideout without incident. And as soon as she was out of the car, she slid her gun from its home in her jacket, burying a few rounds in the hench's forehead and chest. She wiped some of the blood splatter from her face as she walked away, waving a hand as an order to have the mess cleaned up.

"It's so hard to find good, _competent_ help now-a-days."


	10. Chapter 10

Hey kids!

Honestly, let me just say that I'm still so surprised that this story has gotten so many views so far. I'm amazed that so many people have taken the time to read my writing and I cannot be more thankful! It means the world to me that people are reading this and encourages me to keep going!

Also! This chapter is setting up to introduce a new character into the story! Can't wait for you to meet him! ;D Aha!

Hugs and hand grenades,

~ King Noodle

 _Just grow a pair and open the damn door, Charlie._

Standing at the top of the staircase leading to the roof, he had his hand on the doorknob but just wasn't able to push it open yet. What was waiting on the other side for him? Was it nothing? Was it something that could kill him?

"But could she really kill me? After our session today?" he thought, frowning at the thought.

Shaking his head, he knew she could kill him at any given moment. Whether still as a patient in the asylum or as a free woman. She could do whatever she wanted and he wouldn't be able to do a damned thing about it.

But did he really want to? If she tried to do anything to him, would he really want to try and stop her? It's not like he'd be able to stop her anyways. He may be taller, maybe even a little stronger, but he could never underestimate her.

"It's now or never," he thought, taking a deep breath, "Either you find what she left and hide the evidence, or you leave it and let the police deal with it."

Turning the knob, he slowly pushed the door open, using it as a shield in case there was anything set up to shoot at the door. When nothing happened, he opened the door further, looking around for any signs of her. His eyes quickly spotted something resting on the rooftop across from him.

Coming out from behind the door, he took a few steps closer to the object, realizing that it was a purple jack-in-the-box. And then, it started ticking.

Freezing in his tracks, he stared down at the box. His breathing became quicker and heavier as the ticking continued. Regaining some sense of mobility, he scrambled back to the door just barely making cover before it went off.

In a burst of confetti and laughter, a clown with green hair and a big red smile popped out, springing up and down. The laughter wasn't hers, but it still unnerved him. The whole thing did.

Seeing that it wasn't going to explode - at least for right now - he slowly crossed back over and knelt down in front of it. Picking up a handful of the colorful paper, he noticed that not all of it was the same.

Dropping his handful, he picked up a larger and white piece of paper. Scribbled across it in her perfect handwriting was ' _baby boy_ '. A smile spread spread across his features; he just couldn't help himself.

Shoving the slip inside the pocket of his sweatpants, he proceeded to clean up all of the confetti, scooping it back into the jack-in-the-box, which has thankfully stopped laughing. Picking up the box and cutting the balloon off of the pipe, he carried everything back down to his apartment, setting the broken doorknob from earlier back into place.

Once he was safely back inside his apartment, he set the box on the kitchen counter, tying the balloon to the back of one of the chairs. His stomach then grumbled, reminding him that he hasn't eaten since he left for work this morning.

Opening up the fridge and grabbing some leftover take-out from last night, he threw it in the microwave, fiddling with the piece of paper in his pocket. As soon as the microwave dinged, he quickly pulled the food out and sat at the small table in the corner of the kitchen. He took of few bites first before pulling the note out, staring at the handwriting. Then, setting his fork down in the box, he carefully opened the paper.

Inside he found the same handwriting that was on the outside. He skimmed briefly over the words before forgetting his food and becoming immersed in the note.

 _Baby Boy,_

 _Mommy needs you to be a very good little boy and get a few things for her. She'd get them herself but you always want to make Mommy happy, don't you? Well, this would make her very, very happy._

 _2 gallons sulfuric acid_

 _1 canister helium_

 _4 bottles Nightmare from Dr. Jonathan Crane_

 _1 carton strawberry ice cream_

 _~Mommy_

Reading over the list of few more times, he tried to comprehend what he was seeing. How could he get sulfuric acid and helium? And what the hell is Nightmare supposed to be, and how does she have a connection to Dr. Crane?

Rubbing his temples, he pushed the leftovers away from him, his stomach suddenly churning. How would he be able to do all of this for her? And what would happen if he can't?


	11. Chapter 11

Eh, so I decided not to wait around and I'm just gonna post chapter Eleven too. Plus, this chapter is long than the last so it feels like I'm making up for the last chapter being so short. Enjoy, my friends!

~King Noodle

The city's been quiet, far too quiet. Holding its breath in the fear that _she_ might unleash some unparalleled evil on its inhabitants once again. Waiting in terrified anticipation of her next strike against Gotham. But nothing has come. _Yet_.

It has been a few days since he got his grocery list, and he's been sweating over it ever since. He got the strawberry ice cream the following day, even getting himself a carton of chocolate chip cookie dough. And he's been researching where he could possibly procure sulfuric acid and helium without a paper - or digital - trail leading back to him. But concerning this _Nightmare_ she wanted from Dr. Crane…

The man worked in the same institution as him, his office on the same _floor_ as him, and he still couldn't work up the nerve to confront him about it. He had too many questions that he needed answered first, but could only be answered through _meeting_ the doctor.

Pacing his small office, he checked his watch for the umpteenth time. Dr. Crane had an hour break between patients starting in ten minutes, and he figured that this would probably be his only chance to get what she needed before his nerves got to him.

"But what am I supposed to even say?" he muttered to himself, pushing his hands through his hair before quickly patting it back into place, " _Hello, I'm Dr. Quinzel, the Joker sent me to get some Nightmare off of you_?"

Groaning, he tugged at his hair again, squeezing his eyes shut at the frustration. How did she expect him to do this for her? Why couldn't she just get all of this herself? It's not like he was her servant, bowing to her every whim. He was a licensed psychiatrist, for god's sake! A _respectable_ doctor working on some of the most _interesting_ cases the medical field has gotten its grubby little hands on!

Shoving his telephone from his desk, he shouted as he watched it clatter to the floor, "Damn her!"

 _Knock. Knock._

He froze in place, horrified that someone might have just overheard his uncalled for outburst. Hastily picking the phone back up from the floor, he smoothed his hair back down and straightened his tie, turning to face the door as whoever had been passing outside opened it.

"Is everything alright, Dr. Quinzel?"

When he saw who the door revealed to him, his heart almost stopped for the second time. Standing before him was Dr. Crane in the flesh. He recovered quickly enough - hoping afterwards that he hadn't stood there with his mouth hanging open - and plastered a fake smile on his face.

"Oh, of course, Dr. Crane. Just being a klutz and accidently knocked the phone to the floor," he laughed nervously, bringing a hand to the back of his neck.

He had a reputation among the other doctors of being notoriously clumsy and awkward, and he was almost thankful that he could finally use this to his advantage. Unfortunately though, he felt the blood creep up into his cheeks, his face flushing hot with a light pink blush.

But as he gazed at the other doctor's face, he could tell that Dr. Crane wasn't exactly buying his story. While the rest of his face remained stoic, his lip curled down at one corner, his eyes narrowing for a fraction of a second.

"So," Dr. Crane began, crossing his arms almost defiantly over his chest, "Your phone is now a _her_ , and you wish to _damn_ it?"

Shocked at being so blatantly called out by the older man, he stammered, "I-I, I've just been stressed since my… _patient_ escaped a few days ago. I'm just on edge."

"Ah yes, the _Joker_. There's been some talk going around about how she managed to break out of this institution this time 'round. Would you like to hear, _Dr_. _Quinzel_?" Crane inquired, in as close of a mocking tone as he could make sound professional.

He opened his mouth to answer, but by the way his colleague, if he could even be called that, was staring back at him, he knew that no matter how he replied he was going to find out.

"They say it was _your_ pen that killed those guards, Dr. Quinzel. Did you know that?" the other doctor said, a smirk beginning to tug at the corner of his mouth, "Did you not have a session right before _your_ _patient_ brutally murdered those innocent men and escaped?"

A lump instantly formed in his throat. He tried to swallow, to dislodge this rock that had buried itself into the walls of his esophagus, but there it stayed.

"Yes," he managed to speak around this blockage, "We had our weekly session just prior to her breakout."

"So you agree that it must have been your pen that was used to take those men's lives?"

"Yes, I _suppose_ there is a high probability that it was," he replied in a clipped tone, starting to become tired of his accusatory statements.

"And how do you _suppose_ that she managed to swipe this pen of yours?"

"I'm not sure, _Dr_. _Crane_. Now, if you have anything else to say instead of passive-aggressively _accusing_ me of helping Arkham's most infamous patient escape, I have paperwork I need to get back to," he frowned.

There was a pause before Dr. Crane took a few steps closer to him. He realized that he was, in fact, a few inches taller than the other doctor, seeing the crown of his head, the way the brown curls were parted messily to one side. Once he was closer, he also noticed the dark circles that sat underneath Crane's piercing eyes.

 _Looks like he isn't the only one who loses sleep over their job here._

"I think there was something else you needed from me, Quinzel. Something for a… _special_ someone, no?" Crane said, quirking an eyebrow up towards his hairline.

"Four bottles," he muttered after glancing back towards the door to make sure no one else would drop in their little exchange.

A smile erupted on Dr. Crane's features, clapping a hand on his back with a short laugh, "No need to get your undergarments in a bunch, Charlie. You need not worry about a snitch from me."

Almost immediately, he let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding in, a sense of relief washing over him. He was still wary of the other doctor, but he decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. At least for now. If he was working with her, then he must be someone he could trust. Right?

"Why don't you just come on down to my office, and I'll get you just what you need, my _friend_?"

Dr. Crane turned, guiding him with an arm still draped over his shoulders, but once they were out in the hallway, his arm quickly dropped away. The pair continued in silence down to Crane's office, passing a few orderlies along the way. One of the young girls winked at him as she walked by, and he had to actively keep himself from getting sick. He deserved _more_ than some _lowly_ _orderly_.

"Here we are, Dr. Quinzel," Crane said, motioning him into his office and closing them door behind them.

"Um, Dr. Crane, I have a question for you," he asked, thinking that maybe the other doctor could help with the other two items he needed to get.

The older doctor hummed in response as he crouched behind his desk to open some sort of safe he had back there. There were a few clicks and then a puff of air, the door swinging open before Crane.

"Where can I get sulfuric acid and helium?"


	12. Chapter 12

Hey Kiddos! I really hope that every one is enjoying this. I just wanted to put a little note here about my other story - Good Grief, My Honey - and apologize that I haven't finished the second chapter yet. I've just been all over the place with a lot of things and I trying to get it done for all of you. I hope you don't mind the wait. Anyways... Carry on!

~ King Noodle

 **Joker's P.O.V.**

"Hey Jonni, why don't cannibals eat clowns?"

The only female in her gang, and right hand to the Clown Queen herself, looked up from her game of poker with some of the other goons and turned toward her boss. Jonni set her cards down and thought for a moment before shrugging.

"Because they taste funny," she deadpanned, earning a smile from Jonni in return. When the other hired-idiots didn't give their appreciation for her joke, her right hand woman slammed her fist down onto the table, startling everyone else into clapping and cheering.

After the noise died back down, Jonni said without looking up from the cards she had picked back up, "So is that why Croc hasn't eaten you yet?"

There was a pause; the entire warehouse so quiet you could hear a rubber chicken drop. And then she was howling, doubled over in laughter. Her cackling filled the warehouse to the brim, invading every ear drum and every empty space.

"Oh, I knew there was a reason why I kept you around!" she cried, walking over to Jonni and throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"And here I thought it was because of my good looks," Jonni said, a slight smirk on her face.

"Reason numero uno," she winked.

" _But she's definitely not cuter than the doctor! He's so dreamy!_ "

" **Why is** _ **everything**_ **always about that damn doctor with you**!"

" _Have you seen him? Everyone should always be talking about Dr. Quinzel! He's perfect!_ "

"All of you, shut the hell up already!" she screamed, instinctively grabbing one of the knives off of the table and sinking it into the forehead of the closest unlucky lackey.

Jonni frowned at her, already thinking about where they could possibly find another low profile criminal willing to work for her. Motioning for the other hired help to leave the two of them alone, the others quickly filed out of the main area of the warehouse, filtering out to do God knows what.

"What's going on now? That's the fourth one you've killed this week. Word's going to get around that you-"

"That I _what_? Randomly kill the hired help? You think word's going to get around that I might be… _**crazy**_? Real **shocker** , Frost! It'll make tomorrow's front page: _BREAKING NEWS, THE JOKER'S INSANE_!" she shouted, advancing on her top lackey.

"That's not what I meant."

"Then pray tell! What _did_ you mean!"

"You know it's getting harder and harder to get help, everyone's having trouble now-a-days with that damned flying rodent lurking around. But if the risk of dying is higher than the pay…" Jonni explained.

"So you're saying they going to want to work for Pengy and not me because it's ' _safer'_ ," she scowled.

"Theoretically, yes."

"Fuck your theoretics."

"I'm sorry, Boss, but it's just how things are," Jonni said, holding her hands up in defense.

" _See, I told you you have to be nicer!_ "

"No one asked you!" she screamed.

"Excuse me?" Jonni asked.

" _ **We don't need to be asked for us to contribute, we're in your head. We just**_ **happen.** "

"You all can go fuck yourselves!" she cried again, pressing her hands over her ears to shut out the voices.

"What's going on, Boss?" Jonni asked, beginning to get genuinely concerned for her employer.

" _We just say the things you can't admit to yourself any other way, sweetie. Like how much you really like that doctor!_ "

"Don't you bring _him_ into this!"

" _Boss_! What's wrong!"

"EVERYONE JUST _GET_ _OUT_!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, throwing everything within reach at anything she could.

Jonni quickly backed out of the room, knowing there was no use to try and calm her back down. Her breathing gradually got heavier the more worked up she got. She couldn't take it, she couldn't take the constant voices in her head. Even if they _were_ hers. They weren't right, they _obviously_ weren't right. She didn't give two shits about that damned doctor, she was only using him to get what she needed.

" _AGH_!" she grunted, pulling out her pistols and emptying it into the nearest wall.

" _ **Being angry isn't going to change anything**_."

"GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!" she kept repeated, falling to the floor and starting to slowly rock herself back and forth.

" _It's alright, sweetie. No one ever really gets used to this._ "

"Just stop…" she mumbled quietly, rolling onto her side and pulling her legs into the fetal position.

And then they were finally gone. Her mind had gone silent, at least as silent as it could go. Her mind still whirled like a hurricane, but at least those grating, irritating, _damnable_ voices were gone. For now.

Taking a deep breath, she stood back up from the floor, brushing the dirt from her bright purple suit and suiting green velvet tied around her neck. With a 180 change of mood and a big smile on her face, she grabbed her cane and strode toward her favorite purple convertible.

"I think it's time to pay our little doctor a visit."

" **And take a hit.** "


	13. Chapter 13

Hey kiddos! So sorry that it's been so long since I've posted anything. I really am sorry. I've just had so much going on recently, and I've just really lost my muse to write. But I'm trying really hard to get the next chapters of both of my stories done for you! Thank you all again so much for reading.

hugs and hand grenades

~ King Noodle

 _Fear_.

The central nervous system's physiological and emotional response to a serious threat to one's well-being, imagined or real. One of the central human motivations, making decisions because of our _fears_. Something so integral to our lives; fear of heights, fear of blood, fear of falling in love with a homicidal maniac, we all have _something_.

"So…" he began, holding up one of the canisters of bright orange liquid, "What _exactly_ does this do again?"

"You've had nightmares, yes?" Dr. Crane asked, standing up from the safe where he kept the canisters. "Well, what this does is mimic the brain activity of when we would be dreaming to create the illusion that we are indeed asleep. That then activates the part of the repressed unconscious that holds our greatest fears and gives supply to our dreams thus creating…." Crane paused, apparently noticing the look of confusion on his face, before continuing, "In layman's terms, when inhaled, this creates your worst nightmare while you're still _awake_."

Nodding, in understanding and _appreciation_ of the simplified version, he smiled, "Sorry, Freud wasn't exactly my strong suit during my studies."

The older doctor chuckled, crossing over to him and clasping him on the shoulder, " _Quite_ understandable. From when I was in university to now, a lot has changed in regards to how everyone views Dr. Freud."

"Is there anything we could possibly put these in so it doesn't look so… _suspicious_?" he asked, knowing that four of these waking nightmare filled canisters would certainly draw at least _some_ attention.

"Ah yes, of course, I have something right here we can use," Crane answered, reaching underneath his desk and returning with a box, beginning to gently place the canisters inside, "So tell me, Charles, how exactly did you get _involved_ with… Patient #001940?"

He instantly felt blood rush to his cheeks, Dr. Crane's choice of words making it sound so much more _scandalous_. The temperature in the room seemed to have skyrocketed, him pulling at the collar of his dress shirt to alleviate some of the sudden heat.

"Well, I wouldn't say we're involved, Dr. Crane-" he began before the older doctor interrupted.

"Please! Call me Jonathan, we're _friends_ now."

"...Jonathan. She's simply a patient of mine," he finished.

"' _Simply a patient'_? I'm sorry, Charles, but she is never just merely a _patient_. I know you might not want to admit that things might have gotten a bit _**unethical**_ during sessions, but you can trust me. You're in a safe space," Jonathan said with a wink.

Quickly debating whether or not it really was safe to trust Dr. Crane, especially considering the concoction he apparently made sitting between them, he decided that maybe it would be a good idea to have someone on his side. He still hadn't made very many friends here at Arkham, aside from maybe Leland, even after all this time. Maybe this would be a _good_ thing.

Taking a deep breath, he began his tale, "I've been seeing… Patient #001940 for almost three months now. She didn't put up as much resistance as everyone warned me about, and I thought that maybe I would finally be the breakthrough in her case. Everything seemed to be going fairly well until our last session before she escaped. I-I don't know how I let it happen, but I took off her straightjacket and we… we _kissed_. _**She**_ kissed me. And then it was over and I was putting her straightjacket back on and the guards got her and then they were dead and she was gone. When I got back to my apartment, there was this list of things for me to get for her and your Nightmare was on it. But that's it. That's all."

Jonathan had stayed quiet throughout his entire story, only offering a nod of the head every once in awhile. Then he crossed his arms and leaned back against his desk, bringing one hand to his chin in thought. "Did you have any feelings prior to this incident?"

"If I'm being completely honest here… Yes, there have been some feelings. But it must be counter transference or misattribution of arousal. She's pouring her feelings onto me, and I'm doing it in return. Or I'm mistaking the thrill of interviewing such a prominent criminal figure with feelings of interest. It _has_ to be that."

"Maybe, maybe," Crane muttered more to himself before pushing away from the desk and patting him on the shoulder again. "Anyways, if you need anything else, Charlie, my door is always open for you."

"Y-Yes, thank you, Jonathan," he said, offering a weak smile, "For the grocery item and allowing me to talk."

"Anytime, Charlie, anytime," Jonathan smiled back, "Just remember, don't you drop that box. I'd hate to see you suffer."

"Uh, yeah. I'll make sure to be careful," he said, carefully picking up the box.

Looking down both ends of the hallway, he made sure it was empty before he proceeded to make a hasty trip back out to his car, only getting stopped once by an over-friendly guard. He loaded the box into his truck, slamming it shut with a reassuring thud. He could finally breathe easy now.

Dr. Crane had assured him that he could get the sulfuric acid and helium he needed, and would have it for him tomorrow. So he was finished, but not entirely off the hook. He still had to find a way to get everything to her. But at least for now, he could rest easier.

He spent the rest of the day in a sort of happy haze, a little bit more of a pep in his step. He had been pulled back out of his depressive slump, feeling more like himself again. And others noticed too. His patients for the day seemed more responsive to him, some of the other doctors and orderlies were friendlier with him. And before he realized, the day was over and it was time to go home.

Walking back out to his car, he felt ready. _Empowered_. He felt like he could take anything on, conquer anything put in his path. If Bane came barreling out of Arkham's gates right this very second, he felt like he could take him down before the Batman even had time to put his Bat-panties on.

The ride home was filled with loud music and off-key singing. Sure, he got distracted and had to swerve a few times to avoid rear-ending the car in front of him, but nothing could damper his good mood right now. Not even the traffic he had to sit in. Just gave him more time to sing and do his car dancing, earning a few laughs from drivers around him.

And once he got home, he parked his car and hurriedly carried the box up to his apartment, wanting to avoid having to explain to anyone what its contents were. Once inside the safety of his apartment though, he opened the box, gently cradling one of the canisters in his hands. He tilted it this way and that, watching the liquid slosh back and forth, mesmerized by its intense color.

 _RING._

The shrill sound of the telephone startled him, causing the canister to slip from his fingers. He scrambled to catch it before it connected with the floor, but he wasn't quick enough. He watched in horror as the canister hit the floor, splitting open along one of its edges. Orange gas immediately began to spill out from the creak, and he attempted to cover his mouth and nose with his lab coat.

But he was too late. The gas was already circling him and filling his lungs. Nothing happened at first, but then his entire world shifted and changed.


	14. Chapter 14

Look who actually got something done! So sorry for not posting the next chapter is such a long time... Just kinda lost my muse for the story. Anyways, I hope this turned out well, and everyone likes it. Enjoy!

Hugs and hand grenades,

~ King Noodle

She was _here_. She was standing above him, and she was finally with him again. The sight of her calmed the rapid beating of his heart, happy to be with her once more. He climbed back off of the floor, and she smiled sweetly, opening her arms to him. He more than happily returned the smile and started walking towards her, but she always seemed to stay _just_ out of his reach.

" _Wait_!" he cried, when he realized that no matter how hard he tried or how fast he ran, she was always _inches_ away. He just _couldn't_ close the distance between them. His feet felt like they had been replaced with lead, like he was running through quicksand and was slowly sinking. "Please, stay here! Don't leave me!"

But it was no use, he couldn't catch up to her. So he fell to his knees, watching as the sight of her disappeared before him, the happy feeling that had been ignited inside of his chest suddenly snuffed out.

"Please don't go," he mumbled, desperately wishing for her to return.

She'd been so close, _so_ _close_ , and he let her slip away. He should've tried _harder_ ; if only he had, she'd still be here with him! He would've caught her and everything would've been alright. _Idiot, idiot,_ _ **idiot**_ _. Now look at what you've done! How do expect her to want you now, you complete fuck-up!_

"AGH!" he screamed, pounding his fists against the floor, trying to take out all of his frustrations on the unyielding ground. The pain barely registered as he continued his assault, his voice beginning to grow hoarse from his constant screaming.

"What do you think you're doing, baby boy?" came her voice through his agony.

His head snapped up at the sound, finding her resting on the arm of his couch, one leg crossed over the other. She looked down at him curiously, her head cocked to the side. Then she stood from her spot, taking a few long strides over to him on the floor, bending down.

Grasping his chin in her head, she stared at him before frowning. "You _pathetic_ piece of garbage, how do you expect me to want you if you can't even keep up with me? I need someone who can keep up with me, and you certainly _cannot_."

"But I _was_ trying, I was trying so hard, and I just couldn't get to you-"

"I don't accept excuses," she hissed, letting go of his chin and pushing away from him like he made her sick.

"No, please!" he pleaded before the sounds of breaking glass cut him off.

Both of them turned towards the window, finding a man in dark armor standing in a circle of shattered glass. She smiled, standing up to her full height at the sight of him. Sauntering over to the mysterious man, she dragged a hand down the side of his face, chuckling.

"Oh, Batsy, how nice of you to drop by," she purred.

"I'm not here for pleasantries, Joker," Batman grunted, grabbing her by the hair and punching her directly in the nose. Her hands flew up to her face, blooding already spilling over her pearly white skin.

"What are you doing?" he cried, trying to stand back up but it was like he was cemented to the floor. So he was forced to watch this monster of a man brutalize the woman he loved. "Stop it!"

Her laughter filled his ears as Batman continued to beat her senseless, hardly even bothering to fight back. He watched as blow after blow landed, blood splattering everywhere. He suddenly felt something wet on his own face, realizing that he was _crying_.

"Stop doing this, she did nothing wrong! Just _stop_!" he cried out again, but his words fell onto deaf ears. Batman wasn't slowing down anytime soon, and it looked like she was beginning to realize this too.

"Alright, Batsy, isn't that enough?" she managed through his punches, "You're going to kill-"

"That's the whole _point_ , Joker," the masked vigilante interrupted, wrapping his hands around her narrow throat and squeezing.

Finally attempting to retaliate, she reached forward and tried clawing at his eyes, but they did nothing to stop him. With inhuman strength, he crushed her larynx as she let out her last few dying laughs.

Watching as her lifeless body fell to the floor, a burning rage kindled inside of him. Another scream ripped from his chest, lifting himself from the floor and flinging himself at Batman, who easily dodged his clumsy attack.

"You thought you could change her? Make her better?" the other man grunted, deflecting his poorly thrown punches without breaking a sweat. "She can't love anyone but herself. I _saved_ you."

"You didn't save me, you-"

And then the Batman was laughing, actually _laughing_ at him. It seemed wrong for something so happy to be coming out of something that looked so dark, so enraging. He went to throw another punch, but his hand just hit air. Batman was gone.

Looking around his apartment frantically, he found she had disappeared as well. She was no longer lying face down on the floor where that monster had dropped her so unceremoniously. Falling to the floor again, he raked his fingers through his hair, tugging hard.

 _What was happening to him? What was happening to him? What was happening to him?_

Rolling onto his side, he pulled his knees to his chest. He slowly felt the tension melting out of his shoulder. Closing his eyes, he hugged his knees closer to him. This was all a dream, this isn't real. You were just stupid and dropped the canister.

When he opened his eyes again, he didn't know how long he had been lying there. His body ached like it never had before. Looking around, he found his apartment in complete disarray, things thrown everywhere.

Groaning, he lifted himself from the floor, running a hand through his hair which felt wet. Pulling his hand away, he found it covered it blood. "What the hell…"

"About time you woke back up," someone muttered angrily from behind him.

Whipping around, he saw her sitting on his couch, looking perfectly alive and irritated. He let out a sigh of relief before realizing that she still might be a hallucination. So he began looking around his apartment again, praying that the Batman wouldn't come back to finish what he started.

"What do you think you are doing, baby boy?" she asked, repeating herself from the beginning of this nightmare.

"Can't have him come back, can't let him hurt you," he muttered more to himself, pacing around his apartment now, checking everywhere in case Batman might be lurking somewhere in the shadows.

"Can't have who come back and hurt me, Charlie?" she asked as she stood from the couch, genuinely curious. And then she noticed the empty canister on the floor. "Oh, you clumsy little-"

"Shush! We can't let him find you!" he whispered too loudly, peeking around the curtain to look outside to make sure he wasn't waiting just outside the window.

"Whoever _he_ is, they're not real!" she cried, pulling him back from the window. "I'm not some _delusion_ , you clumsy idiot!"

Staring at her with wide eyes, he finally understood. This wasn't his nightmare anymore. She was _actually_ here.


	15. Chapter 15

Hello mentally deranged. I'm so sorry that I haven't updated this story in a while.. I just kinda lost my muse for it, it comes and goes on a whim. But here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy it!

Hugs and hand grenades,

~ King Noodle

Joker's P.O.V.

On her way over to the lovely doctor's apartment, she felt something in her chest that was somewhat unfamiliar. Well, at least unfamiliar in the terms of her current situation. Was she excited to be going to visit the doctor? It'd been awhile since they'd seen each other.

 _ **Nah, it's just indigestion.**_

"I like you. You don't bother me like the other two normally do," she said to the empty air that surrounded her.

 _ **Aw, you really know how to make a schizophrenic voice blush.**_

"But I'm not schizophrenic," she replied matter-of-factly. She knew for sure that she didn't have schizophrenia. She didn't know _what_ was wrong with her, but she wasn't schizophrenic. She's seen enough of those whack-jobs in Arkham to know that that's not her.

 **Po-ta-to, po-tah-to. Close enough.**

"No one asked you," she grunted with a frown. She really didn't like this one. Too angry. Well, not unless she was angry too. Then this one was like her best friend.

 _ **No one ever asks us anything. We've been over this before, we're just here.**_

 **And we hear your thoughts too, dumbass. You think I like you?**

"God, you all give me a damn headache. At least the stupid one-"

 _Sorry, I was just daydreaming about the cute doctor. What'd I miss?_

"Fuck," she muttered to herself, pulling the car into the back alley behind Dr. Quinzel's apartment building. Getting out of the car, she gazed over at the rusted old fire escape. On her first visit here, she had tried to use it to get up to the roof but had quickly realized that she'd sooner be a street pancake than at the top of the building.

She had broken into the building before and made it up to his apartment that way, jumping across the alley to another roof once she was finished, climbing down that building's fire escape. Contemplating her options, she decided to use the other building's ladder and get in that way.

So she steadily made her way up the other fire escape, launching herself across the gap with graceful ease. She might not be Batman, but she could pull off some death defying stunts of her own. Walking across the roof to the door that led to the apartments below, she took note that he had taken the gift that she had left for him.

"Good boy," she murmured to herself, a ghost of a smirk playing on her features.

Half expecting the door to be locked, she was pleasantly surprised when she found it gave way easily for her. Down the steps she went when she was met with another door. Grabbing the knob, it almost startled her when it fell to the ground with a dull thud.

 **Wow. Gotta give the kid props for breaking the door knob off to get up to the roof.**

The voice was right. She certainly hadn't anticipated him to do _that_. She took him as a more goody-goody type, and something she needed to break. Slowly pushing the door open, she peeked out into the hallway. She'd seen at least three cops cars around the building; she knew they were patrolling it because he was her doctor and the best lead they had. She had to be careful or she'd be back in Arkham in a heartbeat.

 _Sure is dreamy, ain't he?_

"Shut up," she grunted, pushing the door open more and slipping out into the deserted corridor. His apartment number was 4C, just three doors down from the rooftop entrance. Today must be her lucky day because when she tried the door to his apartment, she found it unlocked.

 _It's like he was waiting for us to show up!_

With a smile, she opened the door with a flourish. "Honey! I'm home!"

Silence greeted her. Looking around the room, she found it in total disarray. Had someone already broken into his apartment? Was he even hear?

 _Is he okay?!_

Then she spotted a body on the floor. Stepping around broken picture frames, she crossed over to the person in question. It was him. And he was still breathing. She felt relief suddenly flood her chest.

" _Gross_ ," she said out loud without meaning to.

So she set herself down on the couch, determined to wait until he woke up. She just hoped it wouldn't take him too long. She was actually quite curious to find out how the apartment got to be such a mess.

Twenty minutes rolled by and he finally began to stir. "What the hell…"

"About time you woke back up," she spat angrily. She didn't like having to wait and that's _exactly_ what he made her do.

She watched as he spun around, his gaze landing on her, a puff of air escaping his lungs in a breath of relief. But then he started looking around the apartment, looking almost panicked.

"What do you think you are doing, baby boy?" she asked, a brow raised at his peculiar behavior.

"Can't have him come back, can't let him hurt you," he muttered more to himself, pacing around his apartment now, checking everywhere seemingly in search of something.

"Can't have who come back and hurt me, Charlie?" she asked as she stood from the couch, genuinely curious. But then she noticed the empty canister on the floor. "Oh, you clumsy little-"

"Shush! We can't let him find you!" he whispered too loudly, peeking around a curtain to look outside, she guessed to make sure whoever _he_ was wasn't waiting outside.

"Whoever _he_ is, they're not real!" she cried, pulling him back from the window. "I'm not some _delusion_ , you clumsy idiot!"

Turning to look at her with wide eyes, she watched as the realization washed over him. His shoulders seemed to almost sag, but not in defeat, in relief. The second time in a space in five minutes that he looked relieved to see her. She wondered what he had seen in his nightmare.

"Sit down, you have a lot of explaining to do, _doctor_."


	16. Author's Note

Hello everyone, Noodle here!

I just wanted to apologize for not uploading a new chapter in such a long time. I just haven't been able to wrangle a muse in long enough to actually get something coherent written. But I just wanted to let you all know that I am in the process of revising and rewriting what I do have written thus far. It's been bothering me because I feel like I've used childish language here or there, feel like I could've expanded on some scenes and topics, just overall wish I had done a better job the first time. So that's my plan moving forward! Once I get a fair amount of work finished, I begin to process of uploading and posting the revised chapters. Thank you so much for putting up with me.

Hugs and hand grenades,

~ King Noodle


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